Madison Sister City Delegation to Visit Freiburg, Germany

For Immediate Release,
June 8, 2026

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will lead a delegation from the City of Madison visiting local officials in Freiburg, Germany next week to participate in and celebrate the 12th Annual International Meeting of Freiburg's Sister Cities. The trip is funded entirely by individual members of the delegation; no tax dollars are being spent. 

“I want to thank Lord Mayor Martin Horn for graciously inviting us to the 12th Annual International Meeting of Freiburg's Sister Cities. In addition to similar population sizes and being university towns, Madison and Freiburg also share a commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability," said Mayor Rhodes-Conway. “I'm looking forward to further strengthening our relationship with Freiburg through people-to-people international diplomacy centered on improving the daily lives of our residents."  

The delegation will include Alds. Derek Field and Will Ochowicz, representatives from the City of Madison, and the Madison-Freiburg Sister City Committee. 

Located in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany, Freiburg has a population of around 355,000. Germany is one of Wisconsin's largest trading partners importing more than $1 billion in goods from the state each year. The delegation will learn more about Freiburg's local government, sustainability initiatives, transportation and culture from June 10th-15th. 

Freiburg and Madison established a sister city relationship in 1988 because the cities share many features in common, including a beautiful natural setting, a strong university, and many cultural attractions. Lord Mayor Horn of Freiburg led a delegation to Madison in 2022.